


New shoes

by Mierke



Category: Fam (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 01:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20267512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierke/pseuds/Mierke
Summary: Shannon really wants those new shoes, and Clem has the money just lying around in her wallet. What choice does she have?





	New shoes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt _Borrowed_ for the [100 Fandom challenge](https://100fandoms.dreamwidth.org/).

It wasn't stealing, it was just borrowing, Shannon told herself as she rifled through Clem's bag. She would pay her back eventually, it wasn't like she was her father or anything. She just needed these new shoes badly, and it was not like Clem would miss it, right? She had a job, and Nick had a job, surely between the two of them a little 200 bucks would be nothing. They weren't even really expensive shoes.

And in a couple of years, when she was at the beginning of her own stellar career, she'd pay her sister back. With interest!

Her hands closed around the money she found and she put the bag back, just in time for Clem to come out of the bathroom.

"Any plans for today?"

"Nah, just chillin'." She forced herself to relax against the couch, to prevent any leakage of guilt or knowledge of what she was about to do peak through. When had she developed a sense of guilt anyway? "I might go for a stroll around town, meet up with some friends, do some window shopping."

"Okay," Clem said as she started putting breakfast on the table. "Just don't forget Rose's party tonight, okay? She expects you to be there."

"I won't!" Shannon said, the annoyance in her voice directed more at herself for absolutely having forgotten that Rose had a party tonight. What was it for again? Did she have to bring a gift?

"A lot of her colleagues will be there, so..." Clem looked her up and down. "Try to look nice."

Right, it was her 30th or 40th something or other in the psychology business.

"I always look nice," she said, already planning an outfit around the shoes she'd be buying later. The party was brilliant, actually. If anyone did notice her new shoes, she could just tell them she’d wanted to look nice for Rose and everyone would think her so delightful.

* * *

Shoe shopping had gone as planned, and Shannon had even gotten the price lowered over a minute defect no one would ever notice without putting their nose to the laces (and even then, only if they had the same experience she did), but the cashier had wanted to prevent a scene and had given in to her demands.

Ah, how she loved her freedom. Sipping a mocha, looking at the people wandering around town, how could it get better than this? She contemplated what to do with the leftover money. Putting it back in Clem's bag wasn't an option; that would only make it more obvious a part was missing. She could use some new earrings, she was getting bored with the ones she had. Or maybe she could get Rose new earrings!

Mind made up, she started looking for something that her not-exactly-mother-in-law would appreciate. This was a good day, she could feel it.

* * *

Shannon came home to chaos. She hadn't even opened the door yet when she heard Clem and Nick arguing.

"You would pick it up!" Nick said.

"I know, I was just asking cause the money is missing." Clem's voice was a little muffled, as if she was rifling through her purse. "I had hoped that maybe you had wanted to surprise me, because otherwise I have no idea where the money's gone."

"Why would you even have that kind of money lying around?"

Good question, Shannon thought. Really, having that kind of cash on you was just asking for someone to steal it.

"The jeweller won't take cards, it's one of those artisanal places," Clem explained. "It's really not here. Do you think...?"

"Shannon," they both said at the same time, and Shannon took that as her cue to leave.

She wanted to be angry at them for reaching that conclusion, for thinking it so likely she would have been the one to steal from her own sister, but even she couldn't muster that anger with the proof of her borrowing firmly in her hands. She'd even been so proud of herself for not wearing them immediately, for keeping them fresh and clean for the party.

She didn't want a scene, but she would have to return home eventually to change. Surprisingly enough, she now really did want to look nice for Rose. The woman had always been good to her, better than pretty much anyone in her life, and she was one of the few people who didn't look at her and immediately expected the worst.

Maybe if she told Clem what she'd done, and explained, Clem wouldn't be as mad? Surely she should get some points for confessing?

* * *

Shannon had gathered her courage for a while more, had yelled at some harassing boys to get rid of some of her anger, and now stood, again, in front of the door to her home. Hopefully it would still be her home after this.

"Clem, Nick, I have something to confess," she said as she opened the door. Clem and Nick were sitting on the couch, their faces grave and serious, and Shannon tried to swallow down the guilt that was clogging her throat.

She put the shoes and the earrings for Rose down on the coffee table, and said: "This morning, I stole 200 dollars from Clem's purse. There were new shoes that I was dying to have, and I thought they'd look nice at Rose's party. I used the money I saved on the shoes by picking the most scruffy looking pair and demanding a discount to buy earrings for Rose."

She looked at the table, not ready to look into her sister's eyes.

"I know what I did was wrong. I want you to know that I've always intended to pay you back eventually."

"Shannon?" Clem said, and Shannon nodded a bit. "Shannon, look at me."

Shannon looked up and saw her sister looking at her with an expression on her face she couldn't readily identify.

"I am proud of you for coming clean," Clem said. "What you did was wrong, and you will get a job to pay me back now instead of eventually. But the fact that you came to me instead of hiding it and blaming someone else is still impressive. I know you didn't learn that from dad, and I'm proud of you for learning it now."

"And my mom will love those earrings," Nick said, who was looking at the jewellery she had bought for Rose.

Shannon smiled, wanting to make some wise crack but not sure her words would come out without the tears that were threatening to escape. She looked at Clem, hoping her eyes could convey it all and she wouldn't have to voice it, and Clem smiled.

"Go get dressed," she said, and Shannon all but fled the room.

Half a minute later, she sneaked back in to take the shoes with her.


End file.
